Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-10-03
Shetland ponies cost an average Of
$3.50 apiece.

Our heaviest expense is for railroad
transportation, that runs from 900
to $500 per day, aud the railroads
come mighty near getting all the mar.
gin left over other expenses. Wages
and forage come next; and as we
have over 200 animals to feed and
about $50 men and women to paw
and feed, you may be assured that
the figures run quite high. The per-
formers are all boarded at first class
hotels, but the laborers, hostlers,
drivers, ETC., are boarded in the circus
tent; the side-show people also, be,
cause it would be ruinous to let
them run about the streets to the
hotels. No one would care to pay
to see them, if we did. My wife
travels with me, and we have a good
CHEF along, who knows our taste, and
cooks to suit US. l am tired of hotel
fare. We always buy the best, both
for the employees and ourselves, be.
cause it pays.
"Wages9 Caron, the principal
clown, and Viola Rivers, his wife, get
$l25 per week and board. Leon gets
s75 week, for himself and horse !;
the latter is the best ring horse in
the world. The Martel family If four
(oicycle riders) get 500 per week :;
the tumblers, leapers, singers, etc.,
from $12 to $50; laborers from moth
ing to $50 per week. All hands are
boarded besides. There is no place
like q circus to fix mans status. If
a man is handy and industrious and
well-behaved, he is we'll paid, but not
otherwise made much of !; if he is not
desirable he is simply dropped. For
instance, we left several at Boise, and
took up some; we will leave four here
and take up two. That is the way il
goes; we are always hiring and dis
charging.
1--WE are compelled to maintain
very strict discipline, and hold the
bosses responsible. We have man
ager, assistant manager. treasurer and
assistant, boss razor. back, boss and
assistant canvasman, equestrian di.
rector and assistant, boss animal man,
side-show boss, leaders of the bands,
chief cooks, two press agents, bill.
posters, etc. We hold the bosses re-
sponsible for their men and in their
various departments, as it is impossi
BILE for us to look after Details"
GOING OUT OF THE BUSINESS.
1--WE are tired of the business, and
have been getting out for two or
three years, and l suppose we will
close out this winter. We want to
sell, and are willing to appoint three
competent appraisers, and then take
one third of the appraised value for
the goods. We have enough money
to live on comfortably, and do not
care to keep banging around the
country any longer. Besides, the
show business is not as good as it
used to be. Shows are getting too
cumbersome and expensive to move
| BREAKING
"You would like to see the breaking.
up? Just come to the menagerie
tent. The elephants are just through
and no one else will come in, SO we
can, just as we'll as not, put up the
menagerie and get it out of the way
as they do the trapezes and other
properties, just as soon as through
with"
Mr.. Sells and the TIMES man pro.
ceeded to the menagerie. The men
lounging about everywhere at once
stood up, and looked expectant. The
boss animal man and others awaited
orders. "All right" said Mr.. Sells
Instantly 80 men few about-two t,
the elephants, to unchain them; one
to each menagerie wagon, to turr
them around to the center and put tn.
tongues in place; one to each quarter
pole 1.-THE upright poles fitted will
lanyards).
"Go!" added Mr.. Sells. The Ian
yards were pulled, loosening tn,
quarter poles, and the sides OF tn,
tent dropped to the ground; the ele
plants began to walk toward the de
pot; torch bearers went to plan
torches on the way to the cars; thu
drivers brought up their teams ane
hitched them. and the noles and cao